Blood test could predict preterm delivery risk

A pair of blood tests measuring cell-free RNA (cfRNA) predicted gestational age with similar accuracy as standard-of-care ultrasound and women's risk of preterm delivery with up to 80% accuracy, according to a Science study from a team led by Stanford University professor Stephen Quake.

Such tests could provide a cheaper, non-invasive alternative to ultrasounds and lead to tests with greater predictive accuracy of premature birth. Spontaneous preterm delivery is one of the main causes of infant death that ultrasounds cannot predict...